Voting mechanism.



W. H. BABCOCK.

VOTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10. I915.

Patented Apr. 15,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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WITNESSES: W

U ITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

WILLIA H. BABoooK, or wns'r soMEavrLLE, MAssAonnsn'r'rs, ASSIGNOR '1'0 AMERICAN VOTING M cmNE COMPANY, or BOSTON, M ssAcnUsET'rs, A

coaroaA'rroN or MAINE.

voriNe MEoHANIsM.

Application filed April 10, 1915. Serial No. 20,553.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM H. BAB- cocn, a'citizen of the United States, and resident of Vest Somerville, county of Middlesex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an-Improvement in Voting Mechanisms, of which the following descri ption, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to a mechanism for controlling the operation of the working parts in a type of voting machine where the vote counters are operated by manually turned key spindles, and particularly toa type of such machines where a series of parallel vertical slides usually formed as rack elements cooperate with the key spindles for controlling the movement thereof. prime object of the invention is to provide a simplified and efficient form of mechanism wherein the forward turning movement of the key spindle is controlled with certainty and precision for properly registering the vote and the key spindle is also capable of being turned back by the voter and another one turned forward to correct his vote before he leaves the bodth. A further important object is to provide improved means whereby the mechanism can be selectively used either for ordinary voting at elections where the voter registers his choice Onaseries of vertical keys, or when the machineis to be used for voting at primaries, it can be quickly set so that t-hevoter may register his choice for selected candidates of the preferred party along a horizontal line of'keys. This feature of the invention is equipped with provision whereby the act of the voter in votingfor the first candidate of a certain party automatically sets the machinesothat he must vote for all the-other candidates of the same party, or the machine may be optionally ar ranged so that it may be set by the election official so as to permit thevoter to vote only for candidates for the party with which he is registered. A still further object of the invention is to provide a referendum indorsing device whereby the key spindles in a plurality of adjacent vertical columns may be set so that a key may be operated in only Specification of Letters Patent.

One

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

nected by this device so that only one of the.

connection with the accompanying drawings and wil1.be thereafter pointed out in the ap ended claims.

eferring to the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in elevation and looking from the back of the machine, a. part of the key spindles and cotiperative mechanism formed in accordance with my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1; V

- Fig. 3 is a similar section on line '33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar section on line 4-1 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 shows detached in elevation a referendum lock element looking from the side Opposite to Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing detached in elevation the signal slide;

Fig. 7 is a similar detail view showing in elevation the means for giving a turning snap to the keys, at key spindle being shown in section;

Fig. 8 shows in elevation a series of cooperative locking links, with the key spindles to be controlled thereby in section;

Fig. 9 shows in elevation a part of the mechanism adapting the apparatus for prima voting;

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing a modified form of such mechanism adapting the apparatus for automatic primary uses; and

Fig. 11 is an edge elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 10, the supporting back therefor being in section.

The key spindles are indicated at 1 journaled in and extending through the front wall 2 of the machine casing and being equipped at their outer projecting ends with suitable keys 3. These spindles have inner hearings in verticalbars 4 which are held in spaced apart relation to the wall 2 by suitable posts equipped with screw rods 5. The inner ends 6 of the spindles are squared or otherwise suitably formed for connection with their respective counter mechanisms (not shown). As ameans for giving a turnwhat enlarged and formed approximately square in cross section with dished-in sides as seen at 7, and a pair of arms 8 pivoted to pins 9 fixed in the plates are pressed by a looped spring 10 to act upon opposite ones of the dished-in sides 7, said arms being for this purpose provided with rounded heads 11. Toward the front each spindle' is formed with an enlargement 12 equipped with four equally spaced radial teeth 13. Means is provided whereby only one of these spindles in the same vertical row can be .operatedat once, and for this purpose I pro-.

vide a series of locking slides 14 mounted forsmall vertical movement on pins 15 fixed to the wall 2; Each of these slides at one limit of its movement is adapted to press against the teeth 13 of the key spindle and when free to move to the other limitof its movement gives clearance to said teeth so that the key spindle may turn. The arrangement and disposition of these slides is such, and they are equipped with abutting prongs 16, so spaced, that when any spindle is operated. its teeth pressing on the ends of the adjacent slides 14 moves those above endwise far enough to lock the spindles above against turning, while the slides below are held against lifting and the spindles associated therewith hence also locked, as seen in Fig. 8. This applies not only to the spindles next to the one being operated, on either side, but the locking action is effective against all the rest of the spindles in that vertical row, since the abutting projecting prongs 16 of the several slides move I and lock respectively, the whole lineof slides above and below the spindle being operated, to lock all the rest of the spindles. In prac tice this locking action is preferably accomplished by having the toothed enlargements 12 of the spindles set into recesses in the slides, the abutting ends of the slides being inturned as seen at 17 to provide adequate bearings on which the teeth 13 may act to press the slides endwise. also provided for pulling downward upon the topmost. one of these slides and for this purpose I show coil springs 18 engaged at one end with the slide and fixed at the other end to the frame work as seen at 19, so as to exert the requisite downward pull. The vertically slidable bar members cooperative with the key spindles and formed as shown with racks at one edge thereof are shown at 20, equipped with racks 21 on the edge thereof adjacent the row of key spindles to be controlled, these racks extending through most of the length of the bars 20. Each slide bar 20 is formed with long slots 22 extending lengthwise thereof through which Means ispass pins 23 set into the frame plate 2. One of these pins is set adjacent each key spindle and they serve as guides for the bars 20. On each of pins 23 is also mounted a short slide plate 21 which will be termed the signal slide as it has fixed thereto a pin 25 extending through slot 22 and through a slot 26 in the frame 2, to bear a visible signal 27 that is lifted to exposed position at the front of the casing as a key spindle is turned to register a vote. The signal slide 21 is held from contactwith the slide bar 20 by an interposed washer 28 set on the pin 23 and it is held pressed frictionally against said washer by a coil spring 29 fixed in place around t-heend of pin 23 to press in against the slide. The signal slide 24 is vertically guided and held against swinging movement by a pin stud 3O fixed therein and working in the slot 22the lower part of the slide being guided for limited sliding movement over the pin 23 by having a slot 31 engaging with said pin. The slide 24 is equipped with a single tooth recess 32 adapted to receive one of the teeth 13 and when the slide is in normal lowered position the tooth recess 32 is in register with one of the tooth recesses of the rack 21 of bar 20 and in position so that the slide 2-1 and bar 20 are thus lifted together as a tooth 13 engages in said recesses. Thus when the machine is otherwise in condition for voting, a key spindle may be turned one-quarter revolution, '2'. 0., the amount necessary to register a vote and as this occurs the slide bar 20 is lifted and the signal slide 21 raised therewith lifting the signal 27 to visible position and turning the counter mechanism (not shown) to register the vote. The signal slide 24 is held in the position to which it is lifted, by friction, which is augumented by the pressure of spring 29. The slide 20 is also held elevated by friction and also by the action of a spring pressed detent or pawl 33 pivoted near the bottom of the slide and yieldingly engaging 110 with the teeth thereof. It willbe noted' that since there is only one tooth recess 32 in each signal. slide, the key spindle is prevented from turning more than a quarter revolution, 2'. 0., to register one vote, until said slide is again pressed downward. It will also be noted that whilethe signal slide and bar 20 are thus elevated, the tooth recess 32 and the corresponding tooth recess of rack 21 with which a tooth 13 has just enga ed ,to lift the same, are in position so tiat It is to be further noted that while each key spindle operates the signal slide adjacent thereto, and that one only, all the key spindles in a vertical column alongside of the bar 20 operate to lift said bar one step as each spindle is actuated. In ractice, co-' operative means (not shown) is provided to limit the extent to which the respective bars 20 may be lifted by each voter in ac- For voting in primaries it is requisite that means be provided whereby all the keys in any given horizontal row may be operative to register votes for the several candidates of a particular party, while the other horizontal rows of keys are held locked against operation. For this purpose'I form the signal slides24 with upward extensions equipped with beveled corners at one side as seen at 34 which are engagea'ble with pins 35 fixed in horizontal slide bars 36 fitted to operate in the frame work. These slide bars are yieldingly drawn so as to hold the pins 35 against the inclined edges 34,71. 6., toward .the right in'Fig. 1 by springs 37. At ,the

ends of bars 36 toward which the springs 37 pull, they are equipped with ins 38 mounted on leaf springs 39 pivoted to the bar at 39*, the pins 38 being slidable through the bars so as to project some little distance on the inner side thereof as seen in Fig. 11. The springs 39 are equipped with upturned prongs 39 at their free ends constituting a hand hold whereby the pins 38 may be drawn back out of the holes which receive them in bars 36 and caused to rest on the tops of said bars at one side of said holes by turning the springs 39 on their pivots 39*; this being the normal inactive condition of these parts when the machine is'being used for election 'voting with the special primary mechanism out of operation. For cooperation with the pro ecting pins 38 when the machine is used for voting in primaries, a vertically slidable bar 40 may be mounted for limited sliding its endwise movement; an intermediate one of said bars having its notch as indicated at 43, thus opposite a pin 38. This device may be conveniently employed for enrollment primary ujses where the bar 40 will be set by the election ofiicialsso as to unlock the proper horizontal row of spindles'for each voter according to theparty in which he is shown to be enrolled. In Fig. 10,-I Show a modification of this mechanism adapted for what may be called an automatic primary use, i. e., where a voter may start voting for a candidate of any party he wishes but having once .80 started he can only continue to vote for the other candidates of the same party. In

this form of the invention a series of links 44 is mounted in vertical endwise alinement ing of these links is such and their extent of slidingmovement is so limited that asa pin 38 on one bar 36 is moved inbetween the ends of two of them as indicated at 38', it

r engages a beveled ofl corner at one side and by pressing thereon moves all the links at that side endwise enough so that their abutting ends are shoved out of alinement with the other pins 38. which are thereby locked from movement; at the same time the pin thus moved in, engaging the squared end of the link on the other side locks all the links on that side against endwise movement. Thus as soon as a voter has operated any one key spindle to move a horizontal bar 36, 2'. e., the bar indicated at 36 in Fig. 10, he thus automatically locks all the rest of the horizontal rows of spindles againstmovement while leaving the other spindles of the same horizontal row free to be operated.

For referendum indorsing and preferential voting uses, my invention further provides means whereby two or more key spindles in adjacent vertical columns maybe interconnected so that as soon as one or some predetermined number is operated, the other, or others become automatically locked against operation. For this purpose I form the several signal slides 24 with downward extensions presenting inclined edges 47 at their opposite sides. For cooperation with these edges I provide locking plate members 48 bearing spaced apart pins 49, said pins being in position to co-act With the inclined edges 47 of adjacent slides cooperative with key spindles in two vertical columns that are side by side. Each locking plate 48 is mounted on an eccentric pivot 50 carried in a head 51 journaled to rotate in-the plate 4. Projecting out through the plate from each of these heads is a stub pin equipped with means shown as a screw kerf 52 for receivin a turning implement, and also with a mem er 53 presenting opposite locking shoulders adapted toengage with a pin 54 on the fixed plate whereby the head 51 may be turned a half rotation only. The plate members 48 are provided with oppositely projecting wings or fingers 55 extended so that these wings on adjacent plates in the same horizontal row are substantially in contact when in horizontal .alinement, the extremities thereof being rounded so as to permit relative sliding movement. It may now be understood that when any one of the plates 48 is moved downward by the turning of its eccentric head 51, its spaced apart pins 49 will be in operative relation to the inclines 47-of the two adjacent signal plates 24 at each side thereof. Then as either of said signal slidesis moved up by the operation of its key spindle it will press against a pin 49.

' swinging the plate 48 which bears it laterally bringing its other pin 49 against the incline 47 of the adjacent signal plate locking it against rising. If at this time the adjacent plate 48 is also turned downward the tilting action is imparted to it by the abutting wings 55 so that it also looks the next signal slide and its key spindle against operation. If, however, the adjacent plate 48 is not moved downward by adjustment of its eccentric head 51, it is unaffected by the action of the first described plate 48 so that in that case only two adjacent key spindles would be affected. To limit the swinging movement of the plates 48 when they are individually turned downward, they are shown as slotted at 56 with a pin 57 extending in from the frame work to engage the walls of such slot.

It will be understood that in use, after a voter has turned the several key spindles necessary to register his vote and as he leaves the booth, the machine is reset for another voter by moving the slide bars 20 downward to initial lowermosfiposition. This may be effected from either end so far as the present mechanism is concerned but I" preferably press said bars downward from above as more fully shown in the copending applica tion to which reference is made above. I am aware that certain details of construction may be varied, considerably without departing from the spirit, or essentials attributes of the invention and it is to be understood that the mechanism set forth is not in all'respects limited strictly to votin machines, being as to certain features use ul in various other relations with more or less closely allied mechanisms. I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered as illustrative, and not restrictive, referring rather to the appended claims to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A voting mechanism, comprising a bar cent said rack and each equipped with teeth to engage the rack teeth, and a separate slide for each key spindle mounted for 2. A voting mechanism, comprising a bar mounted to slide endwise and formed with a rack, a row of key spindles mounted in said spindles being equipped with-teeth adapted to engage said ,rack, a separate slide for each key spindle mounted to cooperate with said bar adjacent each of said spaced apart relation along said bar, each of mounted to slide endwise, a row of key spindles mounted in-spaced apart relation alongside of said bar, means on each of said spindles for engaging said bar to move it enda wise, and a slide mechanism mounted for limited movement along the same line as said bar, said slide mechanism being formed to permit limited engagement of the respective key spindles with said bar to move it endwise while looking the key spindle against further movement, and also being formed to permit backward movement of the bar to initial position-by the action of the key spindle until the 'bar and slide mechanism are reset by extraneous means. 4. A voting mechanism,comprising a bar mounted to slide endwise, a key spindle mounted to cooperate therewith, said. bar and spindle having cooperative means whereby the spindle may move the bar endwise, and a separate slide member for each key spindle mounted to move in parallelism with said bar to cooperate with the bar and spindle topermit operative engagement of the spindle with the bar for moving it endwise to a limited'extent and then locking it against further movement in the same direction, while permitting backward movement of the bar under the action of the key spindle to initial position until the mechanism is reset by extraneous means.

5. A voting mechanism, comprising a bar mounted to slide endwise, a key spindle mounted in operative relation thereto, said spindle and bar having cooperative means whereby the spindle moves the bar endwise,

a separate slide member for each key spindie mounted to move in parallelism with said bar to cooperate with the spindle and bar for limiting the operative engagement thereof and to be moved with the bar by the spindle to a limited extent, and a signal member mounted on said slide member to be moved to visible position thereby.

6. A voting mechanism, comprising a plurality of bars mounted to slide in parallelism, a series of rows of-key spindles, there being a row alongside of each of said bars,

and said key spindles being also arranged ing said spindles against operation whereby only the spindles of one horizontal row may be operated.

8. A voting mechanism, comprising a bar mounted. to slide endwise, a key spindle mounted in operative relation thereto, saidspindle and bar having cooperative means whereby the spindle moves the bar endwise,

a slide member mounted to cooperate with the spindle and bar for limiting the operative engagement thereof and to be moved with the bar by the spindle to a limited ex tent, and means cooperative with said slide member to lock thesame against endwise movement whereby the key spindles in other horizontal rows are rendered inoperative.

9. A voting mechanism, comprising series of key spindles arranged in vertical columns and horizontal rows, a bar mounted in operative relation to the key spindles of each vertical column, said'spindles and bar having cooperative means whereby the spindle moves the bar endwise, a slide member for each spindle mounted to-cooperate with its bar for limiting the operative engagement of the spindle with the bar and arranged to be moved \vith the bar by the spindle to a limited eiitent, and means adapted to selec-. tively engage the slide members cooperative with the key spindlesof horizontal rows to lock the same and hence render certain other horizontal rows of key spindles'inoperative.

10. A voting mechanism, comprising series of key spindles arranged in vertical columns and horizontal rows, a bar mounted in operative relation tQ. the key spindles of each vertical column, said spindles and bar aving cooperative means whereby the spindle moves the bar endwise, a slide member for each spindle mounted to cooperate with ranged to be moved with the bar by the spindle to a limited extent, a horizontally slidable bar having projections engaging the tops of said slide members to'lock the same when said bar is held in one position, said slide members having beveled corners adapted to engage said projections, and a spring for normally holding said horizontal bar with its projections engaging said slide members.

11. A voting mechanism, comprising series of key spindles arranged in vertical columns and horizontal rows, the spindles of each vertical column having a common controlling means, and means for selectively interlocking the spindles of a horizontal row so that only a predetermined part of the certain number thereof rendered usable by the controlling means of said vertical columns may be operated at will by a voter.

12. A voting mechanism, comprising series of key spindles arranged in vertical columns and horizontal rows, a bar operatively associated with the spindles of each vertical row, said spindles and bar having cooperative means whereby the spindles a voter.

13. A voting mechanism, comprising series of key spindles arranged in vertical columns and horizontal rows, a bar mounted in operative relation to the spindles of each vertloal column, said spindles and bar having cooperative means whereby the spindles move the bar endwise, a slide member for each spindle mounted to cooperate with the same and with the bar and arranged to be moved with the bar by the spindle to a limited extent, each said slide member having a widened lower portion with outwardly inclined sides, and stop members mounted for up and down inanual adjustment with stop elements adapted to engage the oppositely inclined sides at the bottoms of adjacent slide members, saidstop members being mounted for limited swinging movement, and also with clearance so as to permit the operation of one of two adjacent slide members, but not both, when in lowered position. 14. A voting mechanism, comprising series of .key spindles arranged in vertical columns and horlzontal rows, a bar mounted in operative relation to the spindles of each vertical column, said spindles and bar having cooperative means whereby the spindles move the bar'endwise, a slide member -for each spindle mounted to cooperate with the same and with the bar and arranged to be moved with the bar by the spindle to a lim-' ited extent, each said slide member having a widened lower portion with outwardly inclined sides, and stop members mounted for up and down manual adjustment with stop elements adapted to engage the oppositely inclined sides at the bottoms of adjacent slide members, said stop members being mounted for limited swinging movement,

and also with clearance so as to permit the operation of one of two adjacent slide mem bers, but not both, when in lowered position, said stop members being mounted in horizontal alinement when in operative position 

